English

Noun

nocebo effect ‎(plural nocebo effects)

1. A deleterious placebo effect.
   • 1997 June, Fabrizio Benedettia; Martina Amanzioa, Caterina Casadioc, Alberto Oliaroc, Giuliano Maggic, “Blockade of nocebo hyperalgesia by the cholecystokinin antagonist proglumide”, in Pain, volume 71, number 2, DOI:10.1016/S0304-3959(97)03346-0, pages 135–140:

     A nocebo effect was observed when saline was administered.

   • 2012 August 10, Enck, Paul; Winfried Häuser, “Beward the Nocebo Effect”, in The New York Times, ISSN 0362-4331:

     The nocebo effect can be observed even when people take real, non-placebo drugs.

   • 2012 November 7, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report:

     The nocebo effect is a negative placebo effect. It's why I had my doctor take me off my placebos. They kept curing my hypochondria.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:nocebo effect.